FEBRUARY 2021 COMPLIMENTARY GUIDE Catskillregionguide.Com

Catskill Mountain Region FEBRUARY 2021 COMPLIMENTARY GUIDE catskillregionguide.com

Winter in the Mountains On and Off the Slopes

February 2021 • GUIDE 1 2 • www.catskillregionguide.com February 2021 • GUIDE 3 Catskill Mountain Foundation’s Piano Performance Museum presents ACADEMY OF FORTEPIANO PERFORMANCE INTERNATIONAL ORTEPIANO Connecting fortepiano lovers from Salon Series all around the world via Zoom

SALON #2 Saturday, February 27, 2021 @ 2 pm EST (11 am PST, 8 pm Europe)

Hosted from the New York Catskills by AFP faculty members Maria Rose and Yi-heng Yang

Monthly informal online performances and discussions with fortepiano students and professionals anywhere, hosted by AFP faculty and guest artists around the world.

Interested in performing or presenting your own piano? Please apply to [email protected] with a brief bio and description of the music and piano to be presented.

FREE! REGISTER AT www.catskillmtn.org

MORE INFORMATION: www.catskillmtn.org This event is made possible in part through the support of the Jarvis and Constance Doctorow Family Foundation, www.academyfortepiano.org Greene4 County • www.catskillregionguide.com Council on the Arts, d/b/a/ CREATE, and Stewarts Shops. www.catskillregionguide.com

VOLUME 36, NUMBER 2 February 2021

PUBLISHERS Peter Finn, Chairman, Catskill Mountain Foundation Sarah Finn, President, Catskill Mountain Foundation

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, CATSKILL MOUNTAIN FOUNDATION Sarah Taft

ADVERTISING SALES Barbara Cobb On the cover: Photo courtesy of Hunter Mountain Steve Friedman

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & ARTISTS Melissa Gibson, Robert Hsu, George Jurgsatis, Jeff Senterman, Margaret Donsbach Tomlinson & Robert Tomlinson IN THIS ISSUE ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE THE ARTS Candy McKee 6 Justin McGowan & Hillary Morse 8 LITERATURE: Kitchen Appliances By George Jurgsatis PRINTING Catskill Mountain Printing Services 12 WINTER IN THE MOUNTAINS: OFF THE SLOPES

DISTRIBUTION 29 CATSKILL MOUNTAIN REGION GUIDE PHOTOGRAPHY Catskill Mountain Foundation PORTFOLIO: Photographs by Robert Hsu

EDITORIAL DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE: February 10 39 THE GREAT OUTDOORS IN THE CATSKILLS By Jeff Senterman The Catskill Mountain Region Guide is published 12 times a year by the Catskill Mountain Foundation, Inc., Main Street, PO Box 924, Hunter, NY 12442. If you have events or programs that you would like to have covered, please send them by e-mail to tafts@ 42 TIPS FOR ADULTS LEARNING TO SNOWBOARD catskillmtn.org. Please be sure to furnish a contact name and in- By Melissa Gibson clude your address, telephone, fax, and e-mail information on all correspondence. For editorial and photo submission guidelines send a request via e-mail to [email protected]. TODAY BUILDS TOMORROW: Ambition & 2021 The liability of the publisher for any error for which it may be 45 held legally responsible will not exceed the cost of space ordered By Robert Tomlinson or occupied by the error. The publisher assumes no liability for errors in key numbers. The publisher will not, in any event, be liable for loss of income or profits or any consequent damages. BELLEAYRE MOUNTAIN The Catskill Mountain Region Guide office is located in 46 Hunter Village Square in the Village of Hunter on Route 23A. The magazine can be found on-line at www.catskillmtn.org HUNTER MOUNTAIN by clicking on the “Guide Magazine” button, or by going directly 47 to www.catskillregionguide.com 7,000 copies of the Catskill Mountain Region Guide are 48 PLATTEKILL MOUNTAIN distributed each month. It is distributed free of charge at the Plattekill, Sloatsburg and New Baltimore rest stops on the New York State Thruway, and at the tourist information offices, WINDHAM MOUNTAIN restaurants, lodgings, retailers and other businesses throughout 49 Greene, Delaware and Ulster counties. Home delivery of the Guide magazine is available, at an A GREENE COUNTY GARDEN IN FEBRUARY additional fee, to annual members of the Catskill Mountain 51 Foundation at the $100 membership level or higher. By Margaret Donsbach Tomlinson ©2000 Catskill Mountain Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. The Catskill Mountain Region 52 CATSKILL MOUNTAIN FOUNDATION Guide is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. All photo- graphic rights reside with the photographer. 2021 PERFORMING ARTS SEASON SNEAK PEEK 53 2021 COURSES AT SUGAR MAPLES CENTER FOR CREATIVE ARTS

THE CATSKILL MOUNTAIN FOUNDATION 7971 MAIN STREET, P.O. BOX 924 54 DONATE TO THE CATSKILL MOUNTAIN FOUNDATION HUNTER, NY 12442 PHONE: 518 263 2000 • FAX: 518 263 2025 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS WWW.CATSKILLMTN.ORG 56

February 2021 • GUIDE 5 THE ARTS

Saugerties Pro Musica Presents its 25th Season Ani Kalayjian on Saugerties Lighthouse TV Saugerties Pro Musica’s 25th Season is a remarkable milestone presented in a brand new pandemic-inspired format. Instead of the usual live Sunday concerts at Saugerties United Methodist Church, you will see a series of pre- recorded concerts airing on LighthouseTV on (and around) the originally scheduled date and time, that will also be available “on demand” afterwards. These professional recordings will approximate the intimate live performances you are used to attending while giving everyone watching at home the safest and “Best Seats in the House.” To view, go to saugertieslighthousetv. com and click on LIVE STREAM. The 25th Season began on January 24 with a program of music by women composers, performed by the Ekstasis Duo. The second 25th Season concert will air at 3 pm on February 21, featuring cellist Ani Kalayjian’s Trio performing chamber works inspired by folk dances from Armenia, Russia and more. Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “representing the young, up-and- coming generation,” and a “superb cellist with a large, expressive, singing tone, passionate musicianship, and magnificent playing” by the Journal Tribune, Armenian-American cellist Ani Kalayjian enjoys a prolific career as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician and educator that has taken her to Japan, Australia, Canada, the Middle East, and throughout Europe and the United States. Ani’s recent engagements included tours with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra around the U.S. at Ordway Hall in St. Paul, Dart- mouth University, the 92nd St. Y in NY, and in Rome, Bologna, Siena, Berlin and Vienna. She made several trips to Lebanon serving

6 • www.catskillregionguide.com as principal cellist of the Lebanese Phil- harmonic for multiple concerts given at the American University of Beirut as well as solo concerts at Haigazian University. During her time in Lebanon, Ani gave outreach performances to underserved communities at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Insan School for Iraqi & Syrian refugee children, Byblos Birds’ Nest Ar- menian orphanage, Karageusian Founda- tion, and in the Syrian refugee camps. She also performed in Los Angeles at La Sierra University with members of the LA Philharmonic, the Bartow-Pell Man- sion, Saugerties ProMusica, Pleasantville Music Society, and a summer residency at Wellesley College with pianist Adam Golka and violinist Jessica Tong. Ani has performed at major venues and chamber music festivals around the world. She has won top prizes at chamber music competitions around the world, and has enjoyed collaborations with such musicians as Ani Kavafian, Jorja Fleezanis, Andres Cardenes, Danny Phillips, Orion Weiss, Kim Kashkashian, among others. An avid teaching artist, Ani is the Head of the Cello department at the Elisabeth Morrow School and on faculty at Dwight-Englewood School in Engle- wood, NJ and enjoys giving masterclasses to musicians around the country. Keep up with Ani’s upcoming concert dates and news at anikalayjian.com and @anicellist on Instagram. The 25th Season continues on March 21 with the Rolf Shulte Duo (Piano & Violin); April 18 with the Adaskin String Trio; and May 16 with the Will Hayes Trio. The 26th Season is being planned and tentative concerts will include: Trio Kisosen on September 19; a piano and violin duo on October 17; and the An- nual Bard Conservatory of Music Concert on November 7.

Saugerties Pro Musica is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit. For more information, visit sau- gertiespromusica.org, call 845 679 5733, or email [email protected].

February 2021 • GUIDE 7 LITERATURE Curated by Robert Tomlinson Kitchen Appliances By George Jurgsatis

Five years ago, we bought a new fridge to Bob was renting a room in a lovely Victorian home, in replace our relic from the 1960s, an avocado-green side- Albany, owned by his college friends, Ann and Mike. (Mike by-side that came with the house and no longer kept food was the cautionary voice earlier on.) While they rented him cold enough. Bob, bless him, was convinced it could be a room, they also shared their house and their life with him. repaired. “All it needs is a new seal.” His room contained a full-sized bed with a tall book- Repairing appliances is a quaint notion from the past. case functioning as a headboard, a small dresser sat Can recall my dad tinkering with our toaster at the dining against the side wall and a small work table worked as a table. Accompanied him to the drugstore where we tested desk. It was an aesthete-monk‘s cell, the only color, aside TV vacuum tubes (in pre-transistor times) since such a from wood tones, came from the books in his bookcase useful skill would certainly come in handy one day. Now headboard. He collected rare and unusual books. Seeing here we are in current times and a wholly different world. this room for the first time, I thought: this is a man of sub- After a few calls to repairmen that went something like this: stance and found myself feeling even fonder of him. “can you fix it?” “How old is it?” “That old! They’re only expected to last 10 years,” you realize the futility of trying to have anything repaired. Things are meant to break down …what I recall most vividly from that and be replaced. It’s what fuels the economy. Still, against day was being stuck halfway up a flight all odds an ugly green fridge managed to function well for fifty years until the gaskets failed. of stairs with a stove and not Over the past twenty years we’ve replaced all our ap- just any stove, his prized possession: pliances. Some, like the washer and dryer, were replaced twice. When we bought our little casa in Florida it came a 1960s “Space-Age Jetson’s stove.” with all new appliances, making it the first time in our years together that all our kitchen appliances were from the The day before the move he walked me through his same decade. friend’s house, pointing out his handsome Empire sofa in the living room and his grandfather clock in the entrance Forty years ago: hall. “would you mind if I left them for Ann and Mike? I don’t After dating for six months, Bob and I decided to pool want to disrupt their lives.” Would I mind, I was pleased our lot and live together. Let me clarify: convinced we were he wasn’t bringing them. My fifteen room townhouse and a perfect match, Bob wanted to come live with me in my carriage house were already overflowing with personal house in Hudson. All he could see were our similarities; belongings and stock from my antiques shop. So, when all I could see were our differences. Past relationships he arrived at my house in a good-sized Hertz rental truck with emotionally scarred men followed by new attempts the following day, you can understand my puzzlement. All at “writing” my life, left me doubting the possibility of ever he was bringing was a bookcase, books and clothing. He having a lasting relationship. Bob’s friend, who’d met me, never said anything about needing a moving truck. advised him not to take this life-altering step; my trusted There we were on day one of our future together, friend, who’d met Bob and knew me well, urged me to go hauling boxes—what seemed like hundreds of boxes—to for it. So, there we were following one friend’s advice while the third floor, where they were stacked against the walls. ignoring another’s. But what I recall most vividly from that day was being stuck

8 • www.catskillregionguide.com halfway up a flight of stairs with a stove and not just any stove, his prized possession: a 1960s “Space-Age Jetson’s The house is beautiful, a brick Villa in stove.” You may recall seeing one in a magazine or maybe the French Style from the 1870s, sited you spotted one in a friend’s “groovy” new kitchen—they were very sleek with a second oven placed above the on an oversized lot. It is 10 out of 10 for burner top. It was sparkling white with about 50 lbs. of curb appeal. How could anyone not chrome trim. Now wait a minute! No one mentioned a stove. So why love this house? the hell were we trying to hump this beast to the second- floor kitchen after all our energy was spent moving boxes village. I love and want it. Bob doesn’t. Two houses on Day to the third floor. Even with a hand truck to lighten the load, Street follow. While touring a great rambling Victorian Cot- it was heavier than our combined weight. Continually tip- tage Bob gets “bad vibes”—a surprising expression from ping forward, it threatened to hurl itself down the staircase, his lips. The house is a near duplicate of the summer place taking us with it. my ex and I owned. Bob really likes—no, loves!—the Itali- anate next door. But it’s really the kitchen he’s crazy about. Ten years pass: It’s a giant add-on, a sparkling space-age kitchen from the Crack discovers Hudson in the 80s and Warren Street 60s. Feel like I’ve taken a space shuttle back in time, this below 5th Street becomes an outpost of the Lawless West. room belongs in the Met. And there is his Jetson’s stove, Politicians and cops do what generations of them have well, not his, theirs. His face radiates bliss as if he set foot done in the past, avert their eyes. A wide-open drug trade in paradise. He glides around “his dream kitchen,” imagin- makes downtown life unlivable. We buy a building uptown, ing the pure pleasure of preparing meals here. Then he in the central business district, and move my antiques looks towards me. Yes, I love the room but my heart hasn’t shop. The rental apartments above the shop cover the softened my brain or blinded me to the defects of this expenses. Seeking a quiet and peaceful life, we abandon place. All I can see are flaws, but why beat a dead house? my townhouse to storage and buy a little place on Ross- We continue looking. man Avenue. A simple Arts and Crafts cottage, high on a The two remaining houses are on Prospect Avenue. hill at the edge of the city with staggering views of the river The charming Queen Anne Cottage is way overpriced. The valley and Catskill Mountains. It’s life in a treehouse and last, another rambling 1880s Eastlake Cottage with a giant we should be happy. But we can’t escape life’s tragedies. carriage house out back sits on a postage stamp of land. Bob’s parents’ grow ill and die while my brother cheats The house is beautiful, we could live there and store stock death till it finally claims him. in the outbuilding. It makes perfect sense and we’re ready to make an offer when the house next door comes on the Another ten years pass: market. After sitting on the market for two years with little The house is beautiful, a brick Villa in the French Style interest, my townhouse is under contract. So, there we are from the 1870s, sited on an over-sized lot. It is 10 out of 10 twenty years in to our relationship, looking to buy a build- for curb appeal. How could anyone not love this house? ing for storage space. That’s when a friend calls, saying OK, here’s the deal: the house had been converted in there are five houses on the market in Catskill. We’re not to apartments; it answers none of our needs; and it’s 25 looking for a house, I explain. He doubles down, these are thousand more than the house I’m selling. There’s more: great houses. So, despite needing storage space we call I hoped to find a butler’s pantry serving as someone’s a realtor. It can’t hurt to look. That afternoon we drive four kitchen; or a walnut paneled library with built-in bookcases miles south, cross the Hudson river, and arrive in the village doubling as someone’s living room. Wanted tangible traces of Catskill. Not a total unknown, we’ve browsed bookstores of the past. Instead the interior looks like old ladies live and the antiques shops, that seem to appear and fade out there—which, of course, they do. of business over time. Bob spent his childhood in his grandparents’ three- We walk through a brick Octagon from the 1850s on family house. His parents lived on one floor, grandparents two acres in an overlooked and undervalued pocket of the on another, and aunt and uncle on the other. So, buying

February 2021 • GUIDE 9 the entire house and go on renting. After Bob’s accidental It felt good finally being a death two and a half years ago, I’m even more grateful for our makeshift family. Although much altered, the rhythm of part of something—a Family. life continues. Want to explain something before we go any further. this house makes perfect sense to him. I lack that frame of Were we a perfect match as Bob thought? No. But we were reference and struggle with the idea, until I remember a a good match. Two Catholic kids from working class back- friend’s Greenwich Village apartment in a converted town- grounds, close in age, from neighboring boroughs of New house. It’s great, he said, we’re like one big family. That York City. We both grew-up knowing we were loved and was thirty years ago, could it work now? One day, when I wanted. That’s a good start in life for any man. was expressing doubt, Bob said, “I really want this house!” Over the years Bob would ask, “are you happy?” In our years together he never said, I really want—anything. I would answer, “happy? What the hell does that even We buy a multi-family house I don’t want or love and in- mean?” Then one day, one blue sky and puffy-white-cloud herit four elderly tenants: Betty lived in the house since the day, in early summer all that changed. We’d been living in 50s, she managed the place for the previous owners and Catskill a year or two by then, we were eating on the river cared for it as though it were her own home. Regardless in Athens, I looked at Bob and realized I had everything of names on the deed, it would always remain Betty Light’s I’d always wanted—a thoroughly nice man to spend my house. She occupies a six room duplex that accounts for life with. Years of writing helped me gain perspective and half of the first and second floors. Her sister Gert has an brought me to this one glorious revelatory moment. Yes, I apartment on the other half of the second floor. While Mary, was happy. our oldest tenant at ninety, lives on the other half of the Now, back to the fate of Bob’s Jetson’s stove. In my first floor. Kate is nice although eccentric. She lives in a jolly narrative, we left-off with us exhausted and stuck on the apartment, fashioned from servants’ quarters in the base- stairs with it. We did get it up and working in the kitchen. ment, that opened on to the garden. But Bob falls out of love with it, quickly. Although undeni- We move into the owner’s vacant six room apartment ably beautiful, it doesn’t function well. The cooking space on the third floor. Third floor? Let me explain: As a kid I got between the upper oven and burner top is too small for to experience what it felt like to have your life yanked out his favorite pasta pot. A new smaller pasta pot would solve from under you. No way I would visit that on anyone else. the problem and yet he can’t part with this oversized not If we bought a Paris apartment the tenant would get to live especially attractive pot. There must be more to the story, there for life before we could move in. Yes, Paris is thirty-six but I never think to ask what makes this item so important. hundred light-years from Catskill. All the same, the prin- The pasta pot gets moved to Catskill but the stove doesn’t. ciple is civilized and so are we. We’ll take over more of the But in my memory of our move-in-together day, we house as it becomes available and, eventually, we’ll have remain frozen on the stairs in a struggle. Our first struggle the whole house. together as a couple. Even though we don’t last fifty years We quickly fall in to the rhythmic life of the house and like that ugly avocado fridge, we manage, despite the odds before long we become emmeshed in the lives of these against us, to have a good forty years together. wonderful women. Without intending to we become a lovely makeshift family. My parents died when I was still in my twenties and for much of my life I felt like a haunted house. It felt good finally being a part of something—a Family. Despite my initial misgivings, buying the house and moving to Catskill became a wonderfully rich and reward- ing experience. But time is fluid and change is inevitable. George Jurgsatis moved upstate in the mid-sixties to Our tenants are elderly and no one lives forever, no mat- escape the city and reinvent himself as an antiques dealer. ter how much you may want then to. Five years in to our When his brother was hospitalized and near death, he adventure we move into Betty’s duplex, where we spend picked up pen and wrote. That was thirty years ago and the next fifteen years. We outgrow our need to take over he has been writing ever since.

10 • www.catskillregionguide.com The Catskill Mountain Foundation Piano Performance Museum

Featuring the Steven E. Greenstein Collection

Discover this extraordinary collection in performance, music education, and cultural exploration NOW OPEN BY APPOINTMENT!

The Catskill Mountain Foundation’s Piano Performance Museum reopens to the public on Fridays and Saturdays, from 11am to 3pm by appointment only. Please call the CMF Reservation Line at 518 263 2063, to make an appointment to visit the museum. We will return your call as soon as possible to confirm your appointment. The docent tour is approximately 30 minutes. Appointments are available for a maximum of three people at a time. Masks are required and temperatures will be recorded at the door and visitors will be asked to answer a short questionnaire related to Covid 19. During the pandemic, visitors will be asked not to touch the pianos or other artifacts on display in the museum. CMF staff have established healthful guidelines for your visit to the museum to provide as safe an environment as possible for visitors and staff. We welcome you and look forward to showing you our extraordinary collection of historical pianos from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

Doctorow Center for the Arts 7971 Main Street, Route 23A, Hunter, New York • www.catskillmtn.org Hours: By Appointment Only, Fridays & Saturdays 11am-3pm. Please email [email protected] or call 518 263 2063 to request an appointment

The CMF Piano Performance Museum is funded in part by the Jarvis and Constance Doctorow Family Foundation

February 2021 • GUIDE 11 Off the Slopes Photo by Fran Driscoll, francisxdriscoll.com

Need a place to stay, have a meal, maybe do some shopping or visit a spa, or indulge in a bit of aprés-ski? We’ve got you covered. Check out these businesses in the Catskills who LOVE winter as much as you do, and are ready to help you out!

Delaware & Ulster ATTRACTIONS & THE ARTS Rail Road 43510 State Highway 28 Catskill Mountain Arkville, NY 12406 Foundation’s Piano durr.org Performance Museum 800 225 4132 Doctorow Center for the Arts The Delaware & Ulster Rail 7971 Main Street Road has big plans to wel- Hunter, NY 12442 come you back in 2021! Even catskillmtn.org with snow in the air … we 518 263 2063 are working on our tracks! The Catskill Mountain Foundation’s Piano Performance Next year we want to be able to announce: “All Aboard … Museum is the home of the Steven E. Greenstein Piano Next Stop Highmount /Belleayre!” The Delaware & Ulster Collection, a one-of-a-kind collection of historic pianos and Railroad is embarking on a major project to restore our musical artifacts. A destination unlike any other in the Unit- tracks to Highmount and Belleayre Ski Resort. What will ed States, the Piano Performance Museum offers a unique it take for us to restore our tracks to Highmount? 7,000 glimpse into the development of pianos in Europe and environmentally friendly cross ties, treated with “Copper America over the past four centuries. Open on Fridays and Naphthenate”; 28,000 new rail spikes; 2,000 tons of stone Saturdays by appointment only. Email [email protected] ballast; and lots of hard work and dedication by the team at or call 518 263 2063 to make an appointment for your visit the Delaware & Ulster Railroad. Join us for our new events today! season in 2021!

12 • www.catskillregionguide.com Francis X. Driscoll Woodstock Art Exchange Photography & Pablo Glass Studio Images of the 1396 Route 28 Northern Catskills West Hurley, NY 12491 At Tannersville Art & Antiques woodstockartexchange.com 6045 Main Street 646 256 9688 Tannersville, NY 12485 Woodstock Art Exchange is an francisxdriscoll.com exciting gift shop and gallery 518 589 5600 featuring one-of-a-kind handmade gifts, handblown glass, A frequent contributor to the Guide and fine art. Located on Route 28 in West Hurley, there’s magazine, Francis X. Driscoll is something great for everyone, and at every price point. an award-winning nature photographer, whose work has Open Friday, Saturday & Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm; for weekday hours, drop by or call us. appeared in National Geographic Explorer and Cynthia Dantzic’s prestigious book 100 New York Photographers. Driscoll is a self-taught photographer, whose work involves BOWLING ALLEY total immersion in a setting so that he might capture that The Ark Bowl & BBQ rare glimpse and share it with others. His primary subject 42366 NY-28 is the Catskill Forest Preserve, and his best shots are often Arkville, NY 12406 hard-won through years of returning to the same place TheArkBowl.com with a sense of expectation for the beauty that might be 845 586 2695 revealed to him on any given day. He shares his craft with The Ark Bowl & BBQ is an others by leading hikes, conducting workshops and giv- eclectic 120-seat restored 1960’s era vintage 8 lane bowling private instruction. His book, Images of the Northern ing alley, BBQ joint, saloon and music/entertainment venue. Catskills, is a celebration of his work. The largest selection We feature a slow smoked and grilled BBQ menu. The of his work can now be found at Tannersville Art & An- Ark Bowl & BBQ is available for all types of social events tiques, open Friday through Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm.

February 2021 • GUIDE 13 including weddings, birthday parties, bachelor and bachelorette parties, anniversaries, reunions, work gath- erings. Please email us at TheArk- [email protected] with any questions. CAR DEALERSHIP

Thorpe’s GMC 5964 Main Street Tannersville, NY 12485 thorpesgmcinc.com 518 589 7142 Thorpe’s unmatched service and diverse GMC inventory have set them apart as the preferred dealer in Tannersville. With a full-service team of sales and service professionals, visit them today to discover why they have the best reputation in the area. They offer one of the largest GMC inventories in New York, and their trained sales staff will help you every step of the way during your shopping experience. HOME

Best Hot Tubs 5354 Route 23 Windham, NY 12496 besthottubs.com 518 734 9100 Best Hot Tubs Windham store serves the Hunter/Windham, NY and entire Mountain Top area, including the nearby ski resorts at Hunter, Wind- ham and Belleayre. You will find the right hot tub for your lifestyle and all

14 • www.catskillregionguide.com the accessories you need to make your summer and winter spa experience perfect. Bullfrog Spas are the only hot tubs personalized just for you with a complete array of unique, interchangeable JetPaks. Best Hot Tubs can help you design your perfect backyard and select the right Bullfrog Spa to feature, along with many other products and services.

The Garden of Stone 5444 State Route 23 Windham, NY 12496 518 734 4730 At the Garden of Stone you can find an eclectic selection of hand-cast, hand finished and, if you like, hand- painted garden ornament for your garden and home. We make animal statuary, birdbaths, angels, gnomes and more. We offer fresh-cut flow- ers by the stem or bouquet and can help with your special event. Shop for houseplants, unusual items, vintage and new. Browsing is encouraged!

GNH Lumber 5477 Route 23 Windham, NY 12496 GNHlumber.com 518 734 3760 Visit GNH Lumber in Windham today! We’re your source for quality lumber, hardware, building materials, paint and stain, and construction tools and supplies. Do you want to create a one-of-a-kind kitchen sanctuary or bathroom oasis? Our expert design team is ready to help make your vi-

February 2021 • GUIDE 15 sion a reality. Compare our prices and services with other suppliers and discover for yourself why GNH Lumber has a HOTELS/EVENTS reputation for the quality and customer service you de- serve since 1937. We’ll see you soon! Best Western Plus Uptown Kingston Houst Hardware Off NYS Thruway Exit 19 4 Mill Hill Road 503 Washington Avenue Woodstock, NY 12498 Kingston, NY 12401 housthardware.com bwpkingston.com 845 679 2115 845 338 0400 • 800 780 7234 Extra company for the holidays, A modern, full-service hotel located less than a mile from a storm on it’s way … no need to I-87. Situated within walking distance to the Stockade roam far no matter what the sea- District and trendy uptown Kingston shops, restaurants and Photo by Djelloul Marbrook Taken at dusk February 7th 2015 son brings. H Houst & Son Hard- attractions. On-site amenities include First Capitol Bistro, ware is known as the everything store. Yes, we have tools a heated indoor saltwater pool, and complimentary WiFi and toys, shovels and stock pots. Holiday Lights and tree & breakfast. Explore all of the outdoor activities that the stands. Gifts for everyone Tinkers and Makers, DIYers and Catskills and Hudson River are famous for, including the Dreamers, Gardeners and Campers, Cooks and Geeks. new Ashokan Rail Trail, Mohonk Preserve, and more, from So, make a list and check it twice for one stop shopping … one convenient location. Add-on experiences are available, Houst Hardware Has It. including Windham snow tubing passes.

N&S Supply The Emerson Locations in Fishkill, Brewster, Resort & Spa Kingston, Catskill, and Hud- 5340 Route 28 son, NY; and Danbury, CT Mt. Tremper, NY 12457 nssupply.com emersonresort.com N&S Supply is your one-stop 845 688 2828 resource for all your plumb- The Emerson Resort & Spa is a hidden treasure surrounded ing, heating and HVAC needs; Whether it’s an oil or gas by the splendor of the Catskill Mountains. With spacious burner, electric or gas water heater, furnace, toilet, faucet accommodations in the contemporary Inn and Adirondack- or custom shower, our service parts counters or our beauti- style Lodge, Emerson guests enjoy our nature-inspired Spa, ful Bath Classics Showrooms will have what you need. We Catskill creative cooking in our signature restaurant Wood- carry complete product lines, including all the accessories notes Grille, shopping in the Country Stores and the World’s needed for any installation, with dependable, on-time de- Largest Kaleidoscope. The Emerson is an idyllic location for livery service available. We provide everything you would group events and weddings. Dogs are welcome. expect from a full-service distributor, including specialty products designed and manufactured to meet your needs Greenville Arms and lifestyle. Contact us today and learn more about how 11135 State Route 32 we can provide the best solutions for you. Or, visit us at Greenville, NY 12083 one of our full service locations throughout the Hudson 518 966 5219 Valley including Fishkill, Brewster, Kingston, Catskill, and greenvillearms.com Hudson, NY; and Danbury, CT and N&S Bath Classic Show- Originally built in 1889, our rooms in Fishkill. Brewster, Kingston, and Catskill, NY. historically registered Inn is situated on six acres of gardens, lawns, and woodlands. Plattekill Mountain The Queen Anne Revival-style main house, renovated Car- riage House, and recently constructed Cottage building are host to 16 guest rooms open year-round to guests. Every guest room is uniquely decorated with a blend of antiques and modern amenities. A hot, cooked-to-order breakfast is included with each room.

16 • www.catskillregionguide.com February 2021 • GUIDE 17 Hammo’s B&B Lodge 39 Goshen Road PRINTING SERVICES Windham, NY 12439 Catskill Mountain 518 734 6500 Printing Services 917 402 4833 7970 Main Street [email protected] Located just minutes from Hunter, NY 12442 both Windham and Hunter 518 263 2072 Your one-stop shop for fast, per- Mountains, Hammo’s is the perfect spot for you and your sonal service for all of your printing needs. Graphic design doggies to rest while you explore the Catskills this winter. services are available, and we can print green! Room rates include free TV, WiFi, use of pool tables, and a Continental Breakfast. There is no charge for dogs, and your furry friend can even enjoy the dog playground on site! RADIO STATION

Windham Manor WRIP 97.9FM wripfm.com 1161 Co Rd 10 Streaming at rip979.com Windham, NY 12496 RIP 97.9 is the radio voice 518 944 1448 of the Mountaintop and Valley. Broadcasting 24/7 with the windhammanor.com equivalent of 6,000 Watts of power from our main tower Windham Manor is a at the top of Windham Mountain Resort and signal booster premier wedding venue on Hunter Mountain, we are the only radio station covering nestled in the heart of the beautiful Catskill Mountains. the entire region between the Hudson Valley and Oneonta. We specialize in weekend events, but can accommodate WRIP is independently owned and operated. WRIP is heard one-day events, as well. On our 45-acre-property you’ll find on these FM frequencies: 97.9 in Windham and Hunter, The Main House and The Barn. The Main House, which can 97.5 in Durham and Greenville, 103.7 in Catskill and Hud- accommodate up to 33 overnight guests, boasts a gym, a son, 104.5 in Stamford and Delaware County, and stream- full-service spa (perfect place for hair and make-up!), a large ing worldwide at rip979.com. kitchen, 12 beautiful guest suites, wrap-around porches, fire pits, and more. The House is the perfect place to host smaller events (rehearsal dinners, “Welcome” receptions, REAL ESTATE Sunday brunch, small weddings, etc.). The Barn, newly com- pleted, can accommodate up to 300 guests. The luxurious Coldwell Banker space has a large bar, a bride’s suite, a groom’s suite, rest- Timberland Properties rooms, a coat check, a catering deck, a kitchen prep area Six Regional Offices: for caterers, and of course a beautiful large open space for Margaretville: 845 586 3321 dinner and dancing. Boiceville: 845 657 4177 Delhi: 607 746 7400 MOVIE THEATER Stamford: 607 652 2220 Sidney: 607 604 4394 Catskill Mountain Roscoe: 607 290 4130 Foundation’s TimberlandProperties.net Mountain Cinema At Coldwell Banker Timberland Properties we provide the respected name, the systems, the tools, the support, the Doctorow Center for the Arts management and atmosphere to help people to accom- 7971 Main Street plish buying or selling properties. We are passionate about Hunter, NY 12442 this wonderful business. We help our customers and clients catskillmtn.org realize their dreams. We deal with life experiences and 518 263 4702 someone’s largest (and probably best) investment. We put We show top Hollywood, foreign, and independent films at the Coldwell Banker name next to our high standards, be- the Doctorow Center for the Arts in Hunter, just a mile west cause this world wide name provides our agents with the of Hunter Mountain and a short drive from Windham Moun- national and international network necessary for today’s tain. Available for rental for private showings: call Steve at full-service real estate agent to do a thorough job and as- 518 263 2072 for rates and more information. sist clients with all their real estate needs. 18 • www.catskillregionguide.com Gallagher & Company 6 Mitchell Hollow Road Windham, NY 12496 gallagherandcompany.com 518 734 3300 In a market where homes are widely diverse in style, size and value, making a decision on how to list your property requires a team effort from a group of experienced real estate professionals. If you are interested in selling your home or commercial property please call us to request a consultation.

Gordon Hunter Mountain Realty 6528 Route 23A Hunter, NY 12442 gordonrealty.com 518 589 9000 Gordon Hunter Mountain Realty, LLC is one of the prime real estate professionals in Hunter. They are dedicated to serving you when you’re looking for property in Upstate New York and Northern Catskill Mountains. Their staff spe- cializes in many different types of properties near Hunter and Windham Mountain ski resorts.

Sherrett Chase, Associate Real Estate Broker Sotheby’s International Realty sherretchase.selectsothebysrealty.com 845 380 2831 • 518 580 8500 Sherret’s specialty is locating rural properties in our mountain region and surrounding areas. Large properties and unique homes are his passion having consolidated 2,000 acres for a large wind farm; aggregated 500 acres of wilderness into the state For- ever Wild forest; brokered hundreds of acres for a hotel/ golf/skiing destination facility; coordinated and negotiated transfer of private lands under expropriation proceed- ings; built renewable energy projects and large general construction. Sherret has an MS Mechanical Engineering from Columbia, licenses in finance and insurance, and has acquired skills in surveying, appraisals and title research, and is a private pilot. Ask Sherret any time about his three kids, travel, and love for the outdoors.

Hunter Mountain

February 2021 • GUIDE 19 Windstar Realty Casa Vallarta Locations in Windham, Catskill, 1571 Ulster Avenue and Grand Gorge Lake Katrine, NY 12449 windstarrealty.com casavallarta.us 518 734 6600 845 481 5318 Windstar Realty Group, “The We take pride in sharing with you our Fastest Growing Realtor on the festive heritage and authentic Mexi- Mountaintop,” is a full service Real Estate Agency serving can styled foods from the port of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico the Greene and Delaware County areas of NY from our on the Pacific ocean coast. All our dishes are prepared Windham, Catskill, and Grand Gorge offices. Whether you with care and our promise of satisfaction. Large menu of are buying or selling a home, property, or business in the alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, appetizers, soups & Upstate NY area Windstar Realty Group is the agency for salads, burritos, tacos, enchiladas, chimichangas, and faji- you! From skiing, hunting, hiking, and golf to the rolling, tas, as well as beef, pork, chicken, seafood and vegetarian lush landscapes, the Catskill region offers the perfect bal- entrees. And don’t forget the daily specials and dessert! All ance of adventure and serenity. If you are looking to sell, locations of Casa Vallarta are family owned and operated. purchase or rent in the Catskills, contact Windstar Realty Group. Chalet Fondue/ Nunzio’s Pizzeria RESTAURANTS & FOOD 55 State Route 296, Windham, NY 12496 Binnekill Tavern chaletfondue.com 746 Main St. 518 734 4650 Margaretville, NY 12455 The Chalet Fondue serves the 845 586 4884 finest in German, Swiss, and American cuisine, in a charm- binnekilltavern.com ing old-world European setting. Accented with soothing Binnekill Tavern, located in the candlelight, European fireplaces, and hand-picked German center of Margaretville, is a warm, friendly tavern featur- decor, you will feel as though you are in the Alps. ing “Mountain Comfort Food”. The dining room provides Nunzio’s Pizzeria is located inside the Chalet Fondue. riverside views and a large copper fireplace. The kitchen Serving Italian specialties and homemade pizzas, with expertly cooks modern tavern classics like Lamb Meat- gluten-free options. Curbside pickup is available. loaf, Pork Schnitzel, Shrimp Cocktail, burgers, homemade soups, daily seafood specials and much more. The Tavern Hunter Mountain Brewery serves an extensive list of inventive hand-crafted cocktails, 7267 Route 23A local beers on tap and a well curated wine list. Open for Hunter, NY 12442 dinner Thursday-Sunday and lunch Saturday and Sunday. HMBCatskills.com Country Casual. Reservations recommended. 518 263 3300 Hunter Mountain Brewery has been Brandywine serving our customers and com- 11157 State Route 23 munity for five years. Our restaurant Windham, NY 12496 offers pub-style food, Indian Cuisine and Sushi. We have a brandywinewindham.com full bar, gift shop items and a variety of our own beers. 518 734 3838 Hunter Mountain Brewery staff and management has For the past 35 years, this full- been successful in offering a safe spot during this pan- service Italian restaurant has demic for our patrons. Being a family-owned business we offered great food and impeccable service. Share won- prioritize our guests’ health and safety, and we are fully derful memories with your loved ones as we fill your table committed to get through these tough times together. We with delicious Italian cuisine. Born and raised in Southern thank all our frontline workers for their service to keep our Italy, owner Louis Caracciolo has mastered the art of Ital- communities safe. ian cookery. We guarantee that we know the formula to We are open for limited capacity dine-in, offering take- capture the rich flavor of your favorite Italian dishes. Every out, delivery via catskillsdelivery.com and beers to go in Wednesday is Pasta Night! four packs/growlers. Cheers!

20 • www.catskillregionguide.com Jessie’s Harvest House 5819 Main Street Tannersville, NY 12485 jessiesharvesthouse.com 518 589 5445 Jessie’s Harvest House Restaurant and Lodge is a warm and comfy restaurant and lodge that features a delicious menu of rustic American style cuisine with locally sourced ingredients from the beautiful offerings of the Catskills. Call us to inquire about our NEW outdoor igloo dining!

Mother Earth’s Storehouse Locations in Kingston and Saugerties motherearthstorehouse.com 845 246 9614 Over 30 years ago brothers Chris and Kevin Schneider helped start the organic and all-natural food trend in the Hudson Valley. Although it may seem like a recent trend, the organic and sustainable “Buy Lo- cal” movement has been around for many decades. Though modest in size, Mother Earth’s Storehouse has always been focused on wholesome, nutritious foods without artificial ingredients. Come experience Mother Earth’s at one of their two convenient Hudson Valley locations in Kingston and Saugerties.

February 2021 • GUIDE 21 Pancho Villa’s Mexican Restaurant 6037 Main Street Tannersville, NY 12485 panchovillamex.com 518 589 5134 The Best Mexican Food this side of the Border! Pancho Villa’s is owned and operated by the Oscar and Pa- tricia Azcue family. They have been proudly serving authentic Mexican food on Main Street in Tannersville since 1992. Rooted in tradition, their passion is sharing great food and good company. All of the traditional Mexican favorites are served here, from enchiladas and burritos to chimichangas and flautas...plus great margaritas and daiquiris! Open every day except Tuesday.

Tito Bandito’s Taco & Tequila Bar 302 Main Street Pine Hill, NY 12465 845 254 3113 titobanditos.com Tito Bandito’s, located in the center of Pine Hill, just minutes from Bel- leayre Ski Center, is the spot to warm up after a day on the mountain with modern Mexican cuisine and handcrafted cocktails. Our menu features traditional and inventive tacos, ques- adillas, burritos, and much more. The bar serves local and Mexican beer on tap, specialty margaritas, and an extensive tequila list. Check out our

22 • www.catskillregionguide.com après ski specials and events online. Fun and casual. Indoor and outdoor seating. Take-out. Open for dinner Friday-Monday. Lunch Saturday and Sunday.

Woodnotes Grille at the Emerson Resort & Spa 5340 Route 28 Mt. Tremper, NY 12457 emersonresort.com 845 688 2828, option 6 Woodnotes Grille features food you know done our way with fresh local ingredients, unforgettable flavors that hone in on the local spirit, and handcrafted cocktails that are an experience as well as a drink. We give classic entrees and your favorite drinks a little spin by adding native ingredients and innovative twists.

The Woodstock Pub 17 Mill Hill Road Woodstock, NY 12498 845 684 5470 Facebook: TheWoodstockPub Occupying the site of the former Landau Grill (and before that, the original Woodstock Pub), the new Woodstock Pub opened last year after extensive renovations. New owners Chris Constant, James Constant, and Jennifer Ahearn grew up in Woodstock and bought the old drinking hole two years ago. The new Woodstock Pub serves “Pub fare with a Mediter- ranean flair,” with special Greek and Italian nights in honor of their heritages. Pub fare, soups, salads, burgers and sandwiches. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. Their Sweet Chili Cauliflower Wings were the winner of the 2019 Taste of Woodstock for Best Side Dish!

RETAIL

Catskill Mountain Foundation’s Kaaterskill Shoppe 6042 Main Street Tannersville, NY 12485 kaatart.catskillmtn.org 518 589 7500 Located next door to the Orpheum Film & Performing Arts Center, our shoppe features a curated selection of books and gifts from around the Region and around the world. Open Friday through Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm, with special shopping hours for seniors and the immune-compromised from 11 am to noon on Fridays. Check out our NEW website for online shopping!

February 2021 • GUIDE 23 CVS Olives Country Store & Cafe 60 Mill Hill Road 3110 State Route 28 Woodstock, NY 12498 Shokan, NY 12481 CVS.com olivescountrystoreandcafe.com 845 679 3686 845 657 8959 Pharmacy, photo finishing, Olives is the place to stop on the health and beauty products, fragrances, snacks, drinks, way up the mountain for your cof- newspapers and magazines, and more. Your go-to stop if fee & fresh made to order break- you’ve forgotten that extra important something on your fast, to take with you or eat in the trip. For any special occasion, they carry cards, candy, Café, for your travel back home decorations, and a wide variety of reasonably-priced gifts and Late Lunch on the way down the mountain, clean rest for men, women, and children. rooms, Mobil Gas & Diesel, and our unique Catskill Moun- tain & Ashokan Reservoir logo merchandise along with Hickory Hill Market the expanded one-of-a-kind Gift Shop. Awarded the 2018 5200 NY-23 Ulster County Small Business of Year! Windham, NY 12496 hickoryhillmarket.com SERVICES 518 734 6300 A must-stop on the way to the Catskill Center for mountain, or to pick up that Conservation & last minute item you forgot for your Holiday dinner. Featur- Development ing a beer cave with nearly 200 varieties of brews and 43355 Route 28 micro-brews; all of your grocery and convenience needs, Arkville, NY 12406 including fresh vegetables and produce; a full deli coun- catskillcenter.org ter with a full line of Boars Head products for all your deli 845 586 2611 needs; sandwiches, salads and personal pizzas to go; hand- Since 1969, the Catskill Center has led the effort to pro- dipped ice cream and milkshakes; and of course gasoline tect the more than 700,000 acres of the Catskill Park and for the ride home. Visit our website for daily specials and Catskill Forest Preserve. Their mission is to protect and online ordering. foster the environmental, cultural, and economic well-being of the Catskill Region. The Nest Egg 84 Main Street Greene County Economic Phoenicia, NY 12464 Development thenesteggcountrystore.com Corporation nesteggshop.com 411 Main Street 845 688 5851 Catskill, NY 12414 An old-fashioned country greenecountyedc.com store in the heart of the Catskill Mountains, offering relaxed 518 719 3290 shopping and mountain hospitality. You’ll find a little bit of The Greene County Economic Development Corporation everything here: Minnetonka Moccasins, t-shirts & sweat- is your gateway to establishing your business in any of the shirts, local area books and hiking maps, candles, soaps, 14 Catskill Mountain, rural valley, and historic Hudson River incense, jewelry, local maple syrup and honey, nostal- towns. Their team connects entrepreneurs, developers, gic candies, toys, puzzles, games and souvenirs … and site selectors, and corporate leadership with resources, home-made delicious fudge! Owner Robin Kirk’s family has municipalities, and investment incentives for job-creating owned The Nest Egg since 1968. businesses.

24 • www.catskillregionguide.com SPA

The Emerson Resort & Spa 5340 Route 28 Mt. Tremper, NY 12457 emersonresort.com 845 688 2828 Welcome to a harmonious blend of nature, balance and restoration. It is our pleasure to introduce you to spa therapies inspired by the earth’s elements and the tranquility of the Catskills. The Emerson Spa provides a serene experience that combines our natural surroundings with the deep relaxation effects of stone therapy and custom design treat- ments to suit the health, lifestyle and desire of every guest. Please call for a reservation. VISITOR INFORMATION

Catskill Interpretive Center 5096 State Route 28 Mt. Tremper, NY 12457 CatskillInterpretiveCenter.org 845 688 3369 Catskill Park’s official Visitor Center! The Catskill Interpretive Center is your gateway to Catskills, where you can learn about the vast outdoor recreational opportunities in the area as well as discover Catskills communities and rich cultural and natural his- tory. The Catskill Interpretive Center is now open for phone consultations and for drive-up information.

February 2021 • GUIDE 25 WINE & LIQUOR IMAGES OF THE Elevated Wine & Spirits NORTHERN 7261 Route 23A Hunter, NY 12442 518 263 4184 CATSKILLS Hunter Village Wines & Liquors has been Elevated! By Francis X. Driscoll We’re always expanding our selection of traditional, organic, biodynamic, and natural wines, plus bartender-selected spirits including single village mezcals and small batch bourbons. From Barefoot Chardonnay to Cru Beaujolais, from Fireball to Fred #5. A wine & spirits shop for anyone at any budget. Lots of local spirits too.

Town & Country Liquors 330 Route 12 Saugerties, NY 12477 townandcountryliquorstore.com 845 246 8931 Over the years our selection of wines and spirits has developed into the best in the Hud- son Valley. Our friendly helpful staff is here to assist you in finding the right beverage: we have a huge selection of wines and spirits from all over the world. In-store service is available, and pre-call curbside service is encouraged. Please see our inventory online.

Windham Wine & Liquors 5448 State Route 23 Windham, NY 12496 518 734 3474 Windham Wine & Liquors is the Mountaintop’s premier destination for the best offerings of wines and spirits since 2003. Our ever-expanding selection is sure to please every palate and price range. Let us help with your special event or gift. Visit us at the The largest selection of my work West end of town. Open every day of the year except Christmas. is now available at Windham Mountain Tannersville Antiques And Artisans 6045 Main Street • Tannersville, NY 12485 518-589-5600 Open 11AM - 5PM Friday through Sunday For more information visit www.francisxdriscoll.com

26 • www.catskillregionguide.com C Kaaterskill M Shoppe F Gifts Books Toys Art SHOP LOCAL IN THE NEW YEAR!

SHOP ONLINE on our NEW WEBSITE! kaatart.catskillmtn.org

YOUR SAFETY IS OUR TOP PRIORITY! • Wearing a mask is required—we have extra if you need one. • Hand sanitizer and gloves available for your comfort and safety. • No more than 6 people in the store at one time. • Credit card / check are preferred but not mandatory. • We have instituted enhanced cleaning protocols throughout the day. • We have set aside 11 am to noon as a special “seniors only” shopping hour

6042 Main St, Tannersville, NY 12485 (next to the Orpheum Film & Performing Arts Center)

Hours: Friday through Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm Special shopping hours for seniors and the immune-compromised: 11 am to noon on Fridays.

Phone: (518) 589-7500 • KaatArtGallery • KaaterskillShoppe

February 2021 • GUIDE 27 A Film Documenting the Residency at the Catskill Mountain Foundation January, 2021

Scheduled to be shown in March, the film documenting the residency will capture Artistic Director/Choreographer Zvi Gotheiner, dancers, and excerpts of works previously created or polished at the Catskill Mountain Foundation. MARCH, 2021 (Date, Time, and Platform TBA)

CHECK CATSKILLMTN.ORG FOR UPDATES

This event is made possible in part through the support of the Jarvis and Constance Doctorow Family Foundation, Greene County Council on the Arts, d/b/a/ CREATE, and Stewarts Shops. CATSKILL MOUNTAIN REGION GUIDE PHOTOGRAPHY PORTFOLIO

Photographs by Robert Hsu

THE GREAT OUTDOORS IN THE CATSKILLS By Jeff Senterman

hanks to climate change, it is hard to say what typical winter Catskill Park Day is February 2! Tweather might be nowadays, but suffice to say the winter so Organized annually by the Catskill Park Coalition, which is co- far has been tough to prepare for and react to. We have had snow- chaired by the Catskill Center, the 2021 Catskill Park Day will falls, frigid temperatures, warmer temperatures, winds, and rain, be held on Tuesday, February 2, 2021. This day is an opportunity flooding, and then back to cold and snow here in the Catskills. for supporters of the Catskills to have their voice heard in Albany This has all led to a multitude of conditions on the trails for those and to make a difference in the support and funding that the Park looking to get out! The best advice I can think of going into Feb- receives. Unlike past years where advocacy took place in Albany, ruary is to be prepared for anything in the mountains. Conditions this year will be a virtual advocacy day due to COVID-19. can and do change quickly in the Catskills and if you are on the The annual Catskill Park Day event has generated historic trails in the winter months, you should be spending more time on funding for the region and for the Catskill Park. In years past, planning as there is a lot less room for mistakes and errors because this support has helped lead to the development of the Catskills of the cold temperatures, generally higher winds, snow, ice, and Visitor Center, inclusion of new public land in the Catskill Park limited daylight hours. For any trip into the frontcountry or the and many other significant improvements in the infrastructure, backcountry, be sure to check out the regularly updated trail con- management and operation of the Catskill Park. ditions posted by the Catskills Visitor Center—they’ll help you If you can’t be involved on the 2nd, a phone call or a letter know before you go! to your Assemblymember, State Senator and the Governor can be February is a very important time in the political life of the just as effective! Budget season lasts through April, so continued Catskills and the Catskill Park. At the State Capital in Albany, calls and letters are very helpful over the next few months to let this is the time of the year when budgets are being made and legislators in Albany and the Governor know that the Catskills are priorities are being assessed and discussed. Organizations like the important to you! Catskill Center are working hard to advocate for the Catskills and For more information, call the Catskill Center at 845 586 through efforts like Catskill Park Day (February 2), use that op- 2611, e-mail [email protected], or visit catskillcenter.org/ portunity to positively influence the Catskills through the budget- catskillparkday. ing process. Think all the hiking trails of the Catskills are in the high Regular Catskill Park Updates peaks region? Think again! Thanks to Trailkeeper we have the top Now Available Online five winter hikes in Sullivan County, which is home to the south- Local recreational opportunities are always changing. By visiting ern Catskills and some real gems of trails. the Catskills Visitor Center’s Trail Conditions page at catskills-

February 2021 • GUIDE 39 visitorcenter.org, you can now see updates related to the Catskill Park, Catskill trails, #RecreateResponsibly Catskill campgrounds and camping, Catskill boating, skiing, and more. in the Catskills Top Five Winter Hikes in the Southern Catskills As the Catskills get busier, it can be Have you explored the trails of the southern Catskills? Thanks to the Trailkeeper Net- confusing to navigate this “new normal” work we have a list of the five best cross-country ski and snowshoe trails in the Sullivan in terms of how to recreate responsibly County region. Take them as an excuse to avoid winter hibernation during the colder in the era of COVID-19. months and get out exploring the Catskills, either by foot, skis or snowshoes this winter. The #RecreateResponsibly guidelines For more information on any of these trips, you can visit trailkeeper.org, an online out- give some sound advice on how to get let for hiking trails and public lands in Sullivan County. outdoors right now. When it comes to some great places to start, here are the top five cross-country ski and When you choose to recreate responsibly, snowshoe trips from Trailkeeper: you are doing your part to keep yourself and others safe and healthy. • Willowemoc Forest’s Frick Pond Trail Know Before you Go: (voted NY’s 10 best winter hikes by I Love NY!) Check the status of the place you want • Walnut Mountain Park (Liberty, NY) to visit. If it is closed, don’t go. If it’s crowded, have a plan B. • Bashakill D&H towpath (Wurtsboro, NY) Plan Ahead: • Tusten Mountain Trail (Narrowsburg, NY) Neversink Unique Area Prepare for facilities to be closed, pack • Shawangunk Region Trail (Rockhill, NY) lunch and bring essentials like hand sanitizer and a mask. Never tried a winter hike and need some guidance? A great place to start and for out- Stay Close to Home: door gear rentals, visit Morgan Outdoors on Main Street in Livingston Manor, NY or This is not the time to travel long call 845 439 5507. distances to recreate. Most places are only open for day use. Practice Physical Distancing: Adventure only with your immediate household. Be prepared to cover your nose and mouth and give others space. If you are sick, stay home. Play It Safe: Slow down and choose lower-risk activities to reduce your risk of injury. Search and rescue operations and health care resources are both strained. Leave No Trace: Respect public lands and communities and take your garbage with you, including disposable gloves, and masks.

We all have a shared responsibility to care for these places and ensure they remain for future generations to enjoy. Lead by example and join the Catskill Center and the Catskills Visitor Center in learning how to #RecreateResponsibly at recreateresponsibly.org.

40 • www.catskillregionguide.com Visit the Catskill Park’s Visitor Center New York State Forest Preserve, the Catskill Park and the Catskill Located at 5096 Route 28 in Mount Tremper, NY, the Congress- Watershed. man Maurice D. Hinchey Catskills Visitor Center (CVC) is the Meetings are held quarterly and are open to the public. If official visitor center for the Catskill Park. Operated and managed you’d like to learn more, join the mailing list or attend the next by the Catskill Center, staff are available at the CVC with infor- meeting, please contact the Catskill Center at 845 586 2611 or mation, maps and all the advice needed to plan a Catskill adven- e-mail them at [email protected] with CPAC in the subject ture. A walk-up service window at the building is now every day asking to be added to the mailing list. Please note that for the time except for Wednesdays, from 10 am to 3 pm. Visitors who wear a being CPAC meetings will be held virtually. You must be on the mask and follow social distancing protocols can get their Catskill mailing list to receive the email to register for the virtual meeting. questions answered in person, receive tourism literature and make purchases at the CVC’s shop. The CVC building, including the Give Back to the Catskills restrooms inside, are not yet open to the public, but a port-a-john The natural beauty, the majesty of the mountains, the protection is available in the parking area. of the Catskill Forest Preserve, the region’s natural and cultural CVC staff are also available to answer questions about the resources, all need your help! By supporting the work of the Catskills and the Catskill Park via e-mail at info@catskillcenter. Catskill Center, you support: stewardship of our Catskill Park and org or phone 845 688 3369. its vast natural resources; the Center’s collaborative spirit as we In addition to the walk-up service window, 1.5 miles of trails convene, create partnerships and facilitate discussions that benefit on the CVC’s grounds, including the (roughly) 0.5 mile ADA ac- the region; and the Center’s work to support education, arts and cessible Interpretive Loop Trail, are open to the public daily. The culture throughout the Catskills. 80-foot tall Upper Esopus Fire Tower, which was constructed and To support the work of the Catskill Center, become a mem- opened last fall, will also be open daily to visitors. Picnic tables are ber online through their website at catskillcenter.org/membership available on site for those who wish to enjoy a picnic lunch. or donate by mail: Checks made out to the “Catskill Center” can Visitors can explore the ever expanding resources available be mailed to Catskill Center, PO Box 504, Arkville, NY 12406. online for the CVC on the web at catskillsvisitorcenter.org and on the CVC’s Facebook page at facebook.com/catskillsvisitorcenter. Jeff Senterman is the Executive Director of the Catskill Center for Conservation and Catskill Park Advisory Committee Development in Arkville, NY, a member The Catskill Park Advisory Committee (CPAC) was established of the Board of Directors for the American to facilitate communication within the Park and consists of rep- Hiking Society, the Catskill Watershed resentatives from local governments and organizations, chaired Corporation and the Central Catskills by the Catskill Center. It provides a forum for communities, user Chamber of Commerce. Jeff graduated groups and stakeholders of the Catskill Park and the Catskill with a degree in Environmental Science from Lyndon State College Watershed to discuss issues of regional importance. The purpose and worked for many years as an Environmental Planner in New of the Committee is to provide assistance, advice and guidance England before coming back to New York and the Catskills in the to the DEC, the New York City Department of Environmental nonprofit sector. To learn more about the work of the Catskill Center Protection and other land managers in the management of the in the Catskills, visit www.catskillcenter.org.

February 2021 • GUIDE 41 Tips for Adults Learning to Snowboard

By Melissa Gibson, USASA 50+ Snowboarding Champion

t surprises people when I tell them that in 2015, I won a Gold you can link turns together, head up the mountain and experience I medal and two Silver medals at the USASA Snowboarding the thrill of riding down through the snow, accessing nature in National Championships in the 50+ age group. But what is even new and glorious ways, you’ll appreciate the journey. more surprising, is that the first time I stepped on a snowboard, I was 40 years old. Prior to that inaugural ride, I had only skied a Here are my Top Five Tips for Adults handful of times in my life: once in college and three times in my Learning to Snowboard 20s. When our two boys were 4 and 8 years old, my husband and This list will make it easier and more comfortable as you are learn- I got them skiing and snowboarding lessons, and from there we ing and improve your chances at success. Your level of fitness, got hooked on the Catskill Mountain family lifestyle. Instead of flexibility and aversion to risk will be major factors in the process, hibernating inside from December to March, watching our kids but these tips are universal. bounce off the walls (and each other), we committed to being outside throughout the season, even in the harshest conditions. Rent First: As with any technical sport, snowboarding equipment Not one to sit around while my kids have all the fun, I chose can be expensive. If you are just starting out, it is best to rent snowboarding over skiing, and gave myself the gift of winter free- before you buy. This way you can make sure you are committed dom. At 482 months old, I stepped into my bindings for the first before you invest. Renting also enables you to swap out sizes if time, and never looked back. things don’t feel right when you get out on the slopes. Make sure Being an adult beginner at anything can be difficult. The they give you a leash to connect your boots to your board bind- process of learning something new is embedded in the youth ings for safety. experience, whereas grown-ups can be out of practice. Learning something that causes you to fall down over and over again? That Get Lessons: Unless it is from a certified instructor, pass on the can be a deal breaker. Being a snowboarding novice can be rough offer from friends and family to teach you how to snowboard, when you’re old enough to know your body’s limitations, but I and get yourself some lessons from experts at the mountain. The promise you, it is worth pushing through your fears to get to the ideal way to learn is to take lessons on multiple days in a row. reward of riding with confidence. Once you’re at the point where This gives you the best chance of retaining information, gaining

42 • www.catskillregionguide.com muscle memory, and building upon your new skills. A three to five-day session will accelerate the learning curve and get you to the fun part quicker.

Do a Dry Run: Getting in and out of your snowboard, unbuckling the bindings and buckling them back up again is a part of snowboarding that becomes second nature after a while, but can really hold things up in the beginning. So practice this indoors on a carpeted surface before you take your first lesson at the mountain. If you can rent your equipment ahead of time or borrow someone’s board and boots just to get familiar with the bindings at home, it will give you confidence from day one, and make better use of your time with your instructor.

Be Safe and Comfortable: You won’t learn if you’re uncomfortable or unpre- pared for the elements, so invest in the following: comfortable snow pants you can easily bend and move in, a warm, waterproof jacket that is long enough to cover your butt, a helmet (required!) goggles, snowboarding gloves, a face mask and/or neck gaiter, snowboarding socks (they have padding in all the right spots), a good thermal top and bottom layer, and a padded layer to protect your tailbone and hips (this is worth wearing in the beginning). Also, grab some hand and foot warmers for the coldest days. Snowboarding involves lots of sitting and kneeling on the snow when you’re not

February 2021 • GUIDE 43 slow or to keep stopping, but it’s nearly impossible to stand still and balance on an upright position when you’re strapped to your board on an incline. It’s helpful to think of when you were learning to ride a bike: although you were nervous to increase speed, you had to pedal fast enough to balance the bike. Before becoming a snowboarder, I would simply wish away the winter. I cursed every time it snowed and prayed for an early spring. Now that snowboarding is in my life, I celebrate every snowflake, and even hope for an April snowstorm so I can ride the mushy bumps without a jacket after the storm passes. All of the preparations and precautions around snowboarding might seem riding, so having waterproof, protective, and padded clothing will challenging, but these tips will improve your chances of sticking ensure you are safe and comfortable. with it so you can get to the fun part more easily. Believe me, the payoff is worth the effort! Soon you’ll know what it feels like to Embrace the Process: Learning to snowboard is a process. Be ride for pleasure, take in deep breaths of fresh air, enjoy gorgeous patient and trust it. You will learn small skills first, then put those views, have “snow much fun” with friends, improve your strength skills together to learn bigger skills. Don’t rush or let your ego get and flexibility, and expand your horizons. Now, get out there! the better of you. Little kids will zip by you. It’s OK—they are closer to the ground, and very pliable. Know that when starting Melissa Gibson is a USASA 50+ Snowboarding out, you will fall always and in all ways. You will learn how to fall Champion who learned to ride and race at Bel- properly to prevent injury, and your equipment and gear will help leayre Mountain in the Catskills. After a serious you to recover and get back up easily. The good news is that snow health scare, Melissa founded her company Hemp is forgiving, and if you’re lucky, you’ll fall down and roll back & Humanity in 2016, and in the Fall of 2020, she up in one movement (trust me, it’s fun for you and amusing to opened a shop in the heart of Woodstock where she others)! It’s also important to understand that you will have to go educates folks about the healing properties of the hemp plant, and fast enough to control your board. Your instinct might be to go helps clients find a CBD regimen that’s right for them.

44 • www.catskillregionguide.com TODAY Builds TOMORROW CATSKILL MOUNTAIN FOUNDATION TRANSFORMING LIVES THROUGH THE ARTS

THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDERS & SUPPORTERS!

F O U N A M D H A D T I N O I N

Education, Recreation, Arts, and Community Initiatives AMBITION & 2021 By Robert Tomlinson Catskill Mountain Foundation is supported in part by New York State Council on the Arts, The Last month I was thinking about the concept of ambition… specifically, how do my Greene County Legislature through own ambitions get in my way or elevate my chances to achieve what I want to accom- the Cultural Fund administered by plish. Then I read a blog post from August of 2020 by Zat Rana (zatrana.substack.com) CREATE Council for Resources to Enrich the Arts, Technology & entitled, “What Is Possible?” Here’s a paragraph… Education (formerly The Greene County Council on the Arts), The As far as whether or not it’s worth it to be ambitious, my own position is unequivocal: People Jarvis and Constance Doctorow should absolutely be ambitious. Not for themselves but for the world. You should especially be Family Foundation, The Royce ambitious if that’s a word that sounds dirty to you, or if you associate a negative connotation Family Foundation, The Samuel with it. Because that means you are aware of the trappings that come with ambition, and it and Esther Doctorow Fund, The means that you’ll think deeply about your desires, and it means that you won’t choose your Orville and Ethel Slutzky Family ambitions based on idiotic things that do damage in the world. Also, the opposite of ambi- Foundation, Platte Clove Bruder- hof Community, Bank of Greene tion isn’t humility or whatever other posturing people like to claim, but often, it’s pettiness. County Charitable Foundation, The If you don’t have anything interesting to care about, you’ll spend your life caring about what Greene County Youth Bureau, everyone else is doing without ever looking at yourself. Marshall & Sterling Insurance, All Souls’ Church, Stewarts Shops, It’s not only important to ask, What do I want? But also, Why do I want it? I want to Windham Foundation, and by live in a world that is safe and beautiful, one that is fascinated by variety and unpredict- private donations. ability, one that celebrates diversity. I want a platform to wonder and wander and a private workspace to make things. In order to thrive, we need to be ambitious. What are your ambitions for 2021? What will you give yourself permission to strive for? Will you allow yourself to do something unexpected? What do you want to learn about? How will your ambitions effect 7971 Main Street, Village of Hunter the ecological status of our planet? How will you carefully manifest what you care about 518 263 2001 • www.catskillmtn.org in 2021?

February 2021 • GUIDE 45 BELLEAYRE MOUNTAIN TRAILS, PARKS&GLADES: Uphill Lift Capacity: 12,980people/hour Snowmaking: 96% TotalSkiable Acres: 175 Vertical Drop: 1,404’ Longest Run: 12,024’ MOUNTAIN STATS: preventing wasteandaddinghassle-free convenienceforcustomers. go directly from theircartotheslopes. The lift ticket mediacanberenewed overseveral years, ORDA’s newRFIDtechnologyoffers direct-to-lift accessandonlinepurchasing, soguestscan theCatskills.be theperfectplaceforenjoyingbluebird skiesof will includefire pits, outdoorseating, anddirect accesstotheDiscovery Lodge. The patio will Visitors canalsoexpect toenjoythemountainviews from anexpanded outdoorpatio space.It to create spectacular snowquality. Replacing olddieselunits, thenewcompressor willhelpimprove coverage andthetime it takes expanded water delivery. An energy efficient compressor isalsobeingaddedtothesystem. pumps willboostpressure withinthesystemallowingforincreased snowmakingcapacityand New pumpsandanewcompressor are beingaddedtothesnowmakinginfrastructure. The the mainfloor. this“GreatThis allowsfornatural lightandaddstotheaestheticsof Lodge.” area incorporates large windowsthat overlook added tothethird floor. The additionalindoor indoorspacehasbeen 2,700 square feetof a hugesuccesslastseason. An additional The recently expanded DiscoveryLodge was 2020-2021 IMPROVEMENTS FORTHE 20% MostDifficult Trails 58% More Difficult Trails Easiest Trails22% 1 Progression Park &1 X-Course 50 Trails, 5Glades, 1 Terrain Park, ! All lift tickets, lessons, andrentals willberequired tobebooked thisyear online. We window tickets) availableforpurchase. willnothavewalkup (dayof Please visithttps://www.belleayre.com/operational-updates/ SEASON: 800-942-6904 | 845-254-5600 |belleayre.com WINTER HOURSOFOPERATION: for Belleayre’s COVID Health &Safetypolicy 181 GalliCurci Rd|Highmount, NY 12441 Know beforeyougo! Lodges: 8:00am-5:00pm Lifts: 9:00am-4:00pm snow. They are notpatrolled orgroomed. free touseandare onlyopenwithnatural trails.9.2 kmof The cross countrytrails are CROSS COUNTRYTRAILS: Discovery Lodge (lowermtn. lodge):2,025’ Overlook Lodge (midmtn. lodge):2,542’ Sunset Lodge (summitlodge):3,325’ Belleayre Summit:3,429’ ELEVATIONS: ! HUNTER MOUNTAIN ! Mt. Brighton, MI Brighton, Mt. Brandywine, OH Brandywine, Boston Mills, OH Boston Mills, Alpine Valley, OH Valley, Alpine Mad River Mountain, OH Mad River Mountain, 15% Expert: 25% Beginner: Roundtop Mountain Resort, PA Mountain Resort, Roundtop Advanced: 30% 30% Intermediate: PERCENTAGE OF TERRAIN: TERRAIN: OF PERCENTAGE Jack Frost, PA Frost, Jack Big Boulder, PA Big Boulder, Whitetail Resort, PA Whitetail Resort, Mount Sunapee, NH Mount Sunapee, Crotched Mountain, NH Mountain, Crotched Liberty Mountain Resort, PA Mountain Resort, Liberty MOUNTAIN ACCESS: 64 Klein Ave. | Hunter, NY 12442 NY | Hunter, Ave. 64 Klein Know before you go! you before Know about-the-resort/winter-experience.aspx for Hunter’s COVID Health & Safety policy & Health COVID for Hunter’s for all lesson participants. Class size is limited to six people. for all lesson participants. 800-HUNTERMTN | 800-486-8376 | huntermtn.com Hunter Mountain is pleased to be part of the entire Epic Pass family. family. of Epic Pass to be part Hunter Mountain is pleased the entire 1,600’ Drop: Vertical Please visit https://www.huntermtn.com/explore-the-resort/ Please Stowe, VT Stowe, Okemo, VT Okemo, MOUNTAIN STATS: STATS: MOUNTAIN Mount Snow, VT Mount Snow, Lessons must be booked 48 hours in advance, and a pass or lift ticket is required ticket pass or lift and a hours in advance, 48 must be booked Lessons 13 (up from 12) Number of 13 (up from Lifts: For more info visit https://www.epicpass.com/passes/northeast-value-pass.aspx more For 320 (up from 240) 320 (up from Skiable Acres: 67 (up from 58) 67 (up from Number of Trails: Number ofAreas 4 Gladed Glades:

Hunter Mountain, NY Hunter Mountain, Wildcat Mountain, NH Mountain, Wildcat so lock in your days early to secure your spot on the mountain and for the best savings. to secure so lock in your days early 1,600’ (above sea level) sea 1,600’ (above Base Elevation:

3,200’ (above sea level) 3,200’ (above sea Summit Elevation: 4 Freestyle Areas 4 Freestyle Parks: Terrain Number of Attitash Mountain Resort, NH Mountain Resort, Attitash Standard lift tickets are only available for purchase online this season. Lift tickets are limited, limited, are tickets Lift season. online this only available for purchase are tickets lift Standard Northeast Value Pass Value Northeast as low as $619 starting gives you priority access to 18 Eastern resorts, Pass Value Northeast The Hunter Mount Snow, to Okemo, holiday access pass excludes This Note: for the 20/21 Season. the Value offers Midweek Northeast If the midweek-only your schedule is flexible & Stowe. and Pass Value included on the Northeast Resorts $469. at best value with pass prices starting include: Midweek Pass Northeast More snow for beginners! More T40 Fan TechnoAlpin have added new 20 We in our trails snow guns to two top-to-bottom guns snow additional These Terrain. East Hunter as well as than ever before, in the season earlier beginner terrain will allow us to open more the snow surface as needed. refresh give us the ability to rapidly WHAT’S NEW AT HUNTER WHAT’S NEW AT HUNTER MOUNTAIN THIS SEASON? ! PLATTEKILL MOUNTAIN and rentals, eliminating linesintherental shopwithonlineformsandpreset gear • All newonlineshoppingcart forordering tickets to allowformore optionstoorder food. • An allnew“order online”optioninourcafeteria on ouroutdoordeckwithquickgrab andgoitemsavailableforsaleaswellbeverages • anew“PlattyThe Shack”featured additionof technology toourlifts andsnowmaking monitoringinfrastructure. wireless• Installation communication of ceived brand newautomation forimproved efficiency andsnowmakingspeed. pump andmotorimproving water reliability supplytoourmainpumphousewhichalsore of - abrand newsnowmaking • Installation of beginner andintermediate trails. our mostof • Widening andclearing of 2020-2021 WHAT’S NEWFORTHE ! Triple Chair, DoubleChair, Two Carpet Lifts Skiing &Snowboarding (Learning Center and Tubing Park) Friday-Sunday 8:45am-4:15pm All lift tickets, lessons, andrentals willberequired tobebooked thisyear online. Open Daily2/13/21-2/23/21 Open Daily12/26/20-1/3/21 MOUNTAIN STATS: Martin Luther KingHoliday: Presidents’Holiday Week: Christmas Holiday Week:Christmas Open 1/16/21-1/18/21 Average Snowfall:175” Longest Trail: 2miles Number of Trails:of Number 38 Snowmaking: 75% Number of Lifts: 4 Number of Elevation: 3,500’ Vertical: 1,100’ Terrain Park: 1 SEASON: Please visithttps://www.plattekill.com/covid-19/ for Plattekill’s COVID Health &Safetypolicy Know beforeyougo! 469 Plattekill Rd. |Roxbury, NY 12474 HOURS OFOPERATION 607 3263500 |plattekill.com PERCENTAGE OFTERRAIN: Saturdays &Sundays12/26/20–3/14/21: Holidays: OpenDaily More Difficult: 20% Most Difficult: 20% Snowtubing 2/13/21-2/21/21 1/16/21-1/18/21 12/26/20-1/3/21 Difficult: 40% 11am-5pm Easier: 20% ! WINDHAM MOUNTAIN - ! 285 732 Terrain Parks: 6 Parks: Terrain Total Acres: Acres: Total Trail Acreage: Acreage: Trail Adventure Park Fridays 5:00pm – 8:00pm Fridays Sundays 11:00am - 4:00pm Snowmaking Coverage: 97% Snowmaking Coverage: Saturdays 11:00am - 8:00pm Saturdays With additional holiday hours. 45 acres on 9 trails Night Skiing: 45 acres 19,890 passengers per hour 19,890 passengers Uphill Capacity: SEASON: HOURS OF OPERATION 19 Resort Dr. | Windham, NY 12496 NY Windham, | Dr. 19 Resort 800 754 9463 | windhammountain.com Know before you go! you before Know 8:00am – 4:00pm 9:00am – 4:00pm for Windham Mountain’s COVID Health & Safety policy & Safety Health COVID Mountain’s Windham for Number of 11 Lifts: Vertical Rise: 1,600’ Vertical advance reservations and details about the “Red & Green” calendar. & Green” and details about the “Red advance reservations are required. Please visit windhammountain.com for more details on visit windhammountain.com for more Please required. are 54 Number of Trails: 3,100’ Elevation: Top 2020-2021 Please visit https://www.windhammountain.com/covid19/ Please Monday through Friday Monday through 300-12,500’ Slope Length: MOUNTAIN STATS: STATS: MOUNTAIN Saturdays, Sundays & Holidays Saturdays, quads, 2 triples, 1 double, 5 surface 1 double, 2 triples, quads, Skiing & Snowboarding Advance registration for indoor dining, adult and child lessons, and equipment rental adult and child lessons, for indoor dining, Advance registration Further improvements include ticket kiosks that will be available for redemption of will be available for redemption first time that kiosks include ticket improvements Further in the inter cashless transactions Windham Mountain will be implementing New this year, Windham Mountain announced its new partnership with industry leader Centerplate as its Centerplate with industry leader new partnership Windham Mountain announced its 1 high-speed 6 passenger, 2 high-speed 2 high-speed 1 high-speed 6 passenger, WINDHAM MOUNTAIN WINDHAM IN THE the 2020/21 will approach Windham Mountain with guest and strategically winter season A force. employee well-being as the driving for to allow capacity calendar has been created guidance and Federal local, State, anticipated visitation limit the number of during peak that Windham Mountain can accommodate guests Days,” on “Green capacity restrictions calendar has no anticipated & Green” “Red This periods. distancing to social Days” to help adhere restrictions in place for “Red and significant capacity details. windhammountain.com for more Visit the mountain. guidelines throughout at self-service ticket emails may be scanned QR codes on confirmation purchases. ticket lift to the lift. directly may proceed onto RFID cards tickets and guests having re-loaded kiosks,

est of guest and employee safety. Credit/debit cards, Windham Gift Cards, and options to Cards, Windham Gift cards, Credit/debit est of guest and employee safety. money onto all along with reloading passes, and season cards on RFID charge” set up “resort only have cash can place that Guests for payment. all acceptable options are these products, cost. no extra at card onto a gift their currency to all COVID-19 adherence and will employ strict and culinary partner, catering new hospitality, for indoor dining Advance reservations for all visitors. a safe experience to ensure protocols avail- and other outdoor dining options will be food trucks and numerous required, venues are benches to enhance the outdoor dining experience. and heated heaters patio with able as well, ! The MOUNTAIN CINEMA in Hunter IS OPEN!* *Subject to change based on guidance from New York State regarding containment of COVID-19 Please visit catskillmtn.org for updates

DOCTOROW CENTER SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE FOR THE ARTS We hope to be able to remain open, but PLEASE visit catskillmtn.org or 7971 Main Street call 518 263 4702 in advance. Village of Hunter Shows open on Friday & run through Sunday.

Ticket Prices: $11 / $9 seniors & children under 11

View each week’s schedule and view trailers for our films online at www.catskillmtn.org

The movie theater at the Orpheum Film & Performing Arts Center in Tannersville will be closed until further notice. YOUR SAFETY IS OUR TOP PRIORITY To ensure the safety of our patrons and staff, we have instituted the following procedures: • Masks Are Required Except when Seated to Drink or Eat • You Must Wait to Be Seated • The Theaters will be sanitized between showings: do not enter the theater until escorted. • We strongly encourage you to purchase your tickets in advance. Please visit www.catskillmtn.org and click on the film you’d like to see to choose your showing and reserve your seat! RESERVE THE THEATER FOR A PRIVATE VIEWING! Call Steve at 518 263 2072 for more information www.catskillmtn.org • 518 263 4702

50 • www.catskillregionguide.com Flowering Quince A Greene County Garden in February By Margaret Donsbach Tomlinson

ebruary is a good month for pruning shrubs and young This phenomenon is known as “apical dominance,” because the F trees. The leaves are gone from deciduous plants, so it’s easy dominant growth will be at the plant’s apex. Cutting off the grow- to see the architecture of the bare branches. Plants are thoroughly ing tip of the main stem stimulates the buds to grow and produce dormant, so they can tolerate losing some limbs. And spring is not new shoots. far away, with its flush of strong growth that aids the healing of Auxin is why trimming a few inches from the top of a tree pruning cuts. sapling results in numerous vigorous side branches, which is highly Why prune? It’s not always necessary, especially for larger, desirable in a backyard fruit tree. On the other hand, if you want a more established plants. Young trees, especially fruit trees, may tree to grow tall and narrow, keeping its tip intact will discourage need pruning to train them into a vase-shape that allows good air the growth of side branches. Any unwanted side branches that do flow through the branches. Trees and shrubs near a house may form can be clipped close to the trunk, leaving a small “collar” to need pruning to prevent damage to the siding. Projecting or low- promote good healing. If, instead, a side branch is cut off partway hanging limbs along a sidewalk may need to be removed out of down its length, the remaining buds will begin to grow. The result consideration to pedestrians. And, although it’s always best when may be a plant with an unbalanced form that needs a lot of extra planting a new tree or shrub to allow room for its natural size at pruning to continually correct its shape. In the case of hedges, the maturity, an older shrub that has grown too big for its space may dense, twiggy growth produced by shearing is the desired result. need regular pruning to keep it within bounds, if it’s not removed Entire books have been written about pruning, both general altogether. guides and guides to topics as specific as “how to prune an apple A key to successful pruning is understanding how the plant tree.” The most basic key to successful pruning, though, whether will respond. Trimming off the growing tip of a stem redistributes you’re aiming for a natural look, an abundance of healthy fruit, or the plant hormone auxin. In the woody branches of trees and the formal appearance of a hedge, topiary or espalier, is under- shrubs or the trunk of a young sapling, auxin discourages the buds standing apical dominance. Apply that understanding, and you tucked behind the leaf nodes along the stem from active growth. can’t go far wrong.

February 2021 • GUIDE 51 2021 PERFORMING ARTS SEASON SNEAK PEEK Bringing the Community There are many unknowns as we plan our 2021 season. We will continue to work with our artists to offer virtual, recorded performances throughout the year. We are Together through the Arts hoping to present The Nutcracker live in the Orpheum in December 2021.

FOR CLASSICAL MUSIC LOVERS FOR DANCE LOVERS We continue to do everything we can to support dance artists who seek safe studio and theater space to continue their dancing. Dance residencies will be hosted at our facilities in the winter and spring of 2021. CONCERTS & CONVERSATIONS Salon Series of 6 Performances with the Academy of Fortepiano Performance A series of informal online performances and discussions with fortepiano students and professionals anywhere, hosted by AFP faculty and guest artists around the world.

Works & Process at the Guggenheim, A Night at the Theater, London, Peter B. Lewis Theater. Photo: Robert Altman at the Turn of the 18th Century Labyrinth Baroque Ensemble ZviDance Residency Richard Kolb (Music Director) and Tracy Cowart (Stage Director) Zvi Gotheiner, choreographer Saturday, September 4, 2021 @ 7:30pm Three Weeks in January, 2021 The ensemble brings to life the ravishing beauty and wry wit of 17th Films of the dancers in residence will capture their experience of and 18th century chamber music on period instruments. working in the Catskill Mountains. Final performances will be available later in the year on WNET. Thanksgiving Weekend Chamber Music Concert Arranged and Conducted by Robert Manno Guggenheim Museum Works & Process November 2021 Dance Residencies Directed by Duke Dang FOR FAMILIES AND KIDS Six Two-Week Residencies from January through May, 2021 Works & Process, the performing arts series at the Guggenheim, will Virtual performances in each season of 2021. incubate six new dance commissions shaping a more inclusive and representative world. These projects will be developed as part of a series of bubble residencies, a model pioneered by Works & Pro- cess, where artists can safely gather, create, work and perform. Each residency will feature a digital program that will allow audiences to go behind the scenes to gain insight into the creative process.

Orpheum Dance Program Performances Directed by Victoria Rinaldi and featuring dancers from the No Strings Marionette Company: “The Snowmaiden” Community Ballet program as well as students and professional Animals, humans and mythical creatures populate this beloved Rus- dancers from other schools and dance companies in the Northeast. sian folktale.

Enchantment Theatre from Philadelphia Three stories from the Brothers Grimm A FEW LAUGHS GO A LONG WAY Tune in for staged readings of a pair of short theater comedies filmed at the Doctorow Center for the Arts in Hunter. Wanda’s Visit, by Christopher Durang A Midsummer Night’s Dream Featuring Darcy Dunn, Dayna Kurtz, August, 2021 John McCaffrey, and Mark Singer A night of dance and spoken word including dancers from profes- January, 2021 sional ballet companies and local ballet students. In this madcap farce, a married couple in a stale marriage host an unexpected visit from the husband’s old girlfriend, and she turns out to The Nutcracker be the guest from hell. December, 2021 The magic continues with this annual holiday production featuring The second play in this series has yet to be chosen. local ballet students and professional dancers. 52 • www.catskillregionguide.com ONLINE REGISTRATION OPENS JANUARY 1! www.sugarmaples.org | www.catskillmtn.org On Instagram: @Sugarmaples.center CATSKILL MOUNTAIN FOUNDATION

Adero Willard Cynthia Fisher Linda Schultz Laura Pierce WEEKLY CERAMICS COILING AND SLAB THE POETIC PICTURE: CLASSES CONSTRUCTION: CLAY AS CANVAS BASICS & BEYOND AN UNORTHODOX Instructor: Shanna Fliegel Instructor: Susan Bogen APPROACH TO August 19 to August 24 June 23 to August 25 TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES Instructor:Jeff Shapiro PATTERN ON THE CLAY CLAY FOR SENIORS July 15 to July 20 SURFACE Instructor: Susan Beecher Instructor: Adero Willard June 23 to August 25 AN EXPERIMENTAL August 26 to August 31 SALT FIRING CERAMICS Instructors: Max Seinfeld MOSAICS & Stephanie Lanter MAGNIFICENT MOSAICS WORKSHOPS July 22 to July 27 HANDBUILDING: Instructor: Cynthia Fisher TRICKS OF THE TRADE July 23 to 25 EXPRESSIVE TIPS Instructor: Vince Pitelka & SODA FIRING June 17 to June 22 PAINTING Instructor: Kenyon Hansen CHINESE BRUSH PAINTING July 29 to August 3 SENSATIONAL SODA Instructor: Linda Schultz FIRING June 26 to 27 MARRYING FORM Instructor: Bruce Dehnert AND SURFACE June 24 to June 27 FIBER ARTS WITH BRENDA QUINN BASICS & BEYOND Instructor: Brenda Quinn DELICIOUS DISHES WEEKLY WEAVING CLASS August 5 to August 10 Instructor: Susan Beecher Instructor: Laura Pierce July 2 to July 4 Session 1: June 7 to July 26 WHICH CAME FIRST, Session 2: August 9 to THE POT OR THE IDEA LEVEL UP YOUR PATTERN September 27 Instructor: Lindsay Oesterritter Instructor: Michael Kline August 12 to August 16 July 8 to July 12 INTRO TO RIGID HEDDLE Instructor: Teresa Curtiss August 7 to 8

February 2021 • GUIDE 53 PLEASE DONATE TO THE WE MISS YOU AND CAN’T CATSKILL MOUNTAIN FOUNDATION! Your support matters and makes everything we do possible! WAIT TO SEE YOU SOON! EACH YEAR, THE CATSKILL MOUNTAIN FOUNDATION • Presents and hosts more than 20 per- • Hosts arts residencies bringing many • Shows more than 100 films on our formances and lectures. artists to our community for extended four screens in Hunter and Tannersville. stays. • Offersfree or subsidized arts pro- • Publishes the monthly Guide maga- grams that are enjoyed by hundreds of • Is the home of the Piano Perfor- zine, distributed throughout the Catskill local children. mance Museum, a rare collection of Region and at New York State Thruway historic playable pianos. rest stops. • Offersworks of over 40 regional artists, along with the a hand-curated • Runs a dozen studio arts programs, collection of over 4,000 books. with students from around the U.S.

YES! I would like to help the Catskill Mountain Foundation in its mission to bring the arts to the Mountaintop Please accept my donation of: $ You may also make a donation online at https://bit.ly/2E3Exny

All donors are listed in our playbills and receive our weekly e-mail updates. q Primary Address Name 1: Name 2 (if joint membership): Address: City: State: Zip: E-mail: Phone: q Secondary Address Address: City: State: Zip: q Check if this is a new address. “All art has this characteristic – Please make your check payable to: Catskill Mountain Foundation PO Box 924 • Hunter, NY 12442 Become an “Angel of the Arts”: Make this a monthly gift it unites people.” I would like to donate $______monthly.

q Check Enclosed q Visa q Mastercard q AmEx —Leo Tolstoy

Card # Exp. Date CVV Billing Zip Code Signature

You may be able to double your contribution if you work for or are retired from a company that has a matching gift program. To make your match, simply obtain a form from your company’s Matching Gift Coordinator and send it along with your contribution. Catskill Mountain Foundation is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation. All gifts are tax deductible as allowable by law. Questions/More Information: Call 518 263 2001 WE MISS YOU AND CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU SOON!

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“All art has this characteristic – it unites people.” —Leo Tolstoy

February 2021 • GUIDE 55 Please Support Our Advertisers!

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